| The study investigated how alternative schools differ in the state of Texas. The objective of this descriptive research study was to describe the characteristics of alternative schools in Texas. This descriptive study sought to describe the current characteristics of alternative schools in Texas through answering the following four research questions. What type of alternative school design is most commonly practiced in Texas? How are students referred to the alternative school and transferred back to the mainstream campus? How is the state curriculum being taught in alternative schools in Texas? What social skills programs are being used to increase student self-discipline? The data was collected by a 40-item survey from nine administrations of alternative schools in Texas. The responses were categorized to calculate the mean, percentages, and frequencies of responses of administrators. The data indicated that the primary type of alternative school in Texas is a last chance type school serving mostly habitually disruptive students. The data also showed that most students are referred to alternative schools by the mainstream campus administrator for a minimum of 20-35 days. The data also showed that there is little consistency in how students transition back to the mainstream campus. The instructional method most often used is a traditional methodology with computer-aided instruction being used effectively on most campuses as an instructional support. Finally, the data shared that many different social skill programs were used in alternative schools with a positive effect. However, no two alternative schools used the same social skills program. |
